The invention relates to a data bus system, comprising
a plurality of stations, including at least two transmitter stations, each transmitter station being switchable to an active mode in which the relevant transmitter station digitally transmits an own data stream for which at least a transmission capacity which is specific of the relevant transmitter station is required,
bus means which interconnect the stations of said plurality and have a transmission capacity available for transporting the own data streams between the stations.
For a detailed example of such a system reference is made to the P1394 bus system proposed in an IEEE standard publication. A data stream represents, for example an audio signal or a video signal. In that case a transmitter station is, for example a CD player, a tuner or a video recorder and transmits such a data stream via the bus means for as long as it is in the active mode.
If the transmission capacity required for all transmitter stations simultaneously operating in the active mode is greater than the available transmission capacity of the bus means, the operation of the bus system will not be satisfactory. For example, consider the case where the data streams are subdivided into frames which can be transmitted via the bus means only after a successful arbitration procedure. If too many transmitter stations operate simultaneously in the active mode, there will be stations which lose the arbitration so often that they cannot transmit the entire data stream.